Glimpses of Japan Local - in JEnglish

  As I pedal around my local area, the soft breeze carries a faint, nostalgic fragrance that awakens memories of my younger days.   A Journey to Asuka Village Back when I lived near  Asuka  Village in  Nara , I would often traverse from the  Ishi-Butai  Burial Mound, passing through  Inafuchi , and over the  Asakaze  Pass. The sight of the twin-peaked Mt.  Nijoh  silhouetted against the western sky of the  Yamato  Basin would always evoke a sense of fondness.   On the paths lined with mandarin orchards, leading towards  Hinokuma , the pure white mandarin blossoms would greet me with their gentle fragrance. As I hummed the ancient poem from the  Noh  play  "Hibariyama"  — inspired by the legend of Princess  Chūjō  — I would feel enveloped by the sweet aroma.   ☆ ☆ ☆ A Local Ride for the Sake of Nostalgia It had been a while since I took a ride to rediscover the unique charm ...

  Saturday, April 26, 2025 This was my first time riding around  Shika-no-shima  Island and  Umi-no-nakamichi  Seaside Park with my granddaughter. She was on her Brompton bike, " Pota-kichi ," and I was riding my Bianchi Lepre, " Pyon-ko ." It’s common for me to take the Brompton on a car trip, but this was the first time for the Mini-Velo Bianchi. After some trial and error, figuring out how to remove the front and rear wheels and pack them into the bike bag, I finally managed to fit both bikes in the car. It seems like my granddaughter didn’t eat breakfast, so we stopped for a quick bite at  "Hato-ba Chaya"  in Hatsu . The hot sandwiches there are so good! We had a nice little strategy meeting while looking out over the sea. On the way, we stopped by  Fujidera  -  Joko-ji  temple in  Eguchi, Munakata , to check out the wisteria just about to bloom. We parked at the  Umi-no-nakamichi  Seaside Park parking lot, set up...

  Two Fresh Candles: When you light two pristine candles at the same time, they each burn in their own subtle way. The flame flickers in the wind, melting the wax, which drips down, sticks, and hardens again, sometimes reshaping the candle’s appearance. Wax may pool at the base of the candlestick, too. Even if their lengths and shapes end up different, all the wax burns out at nearly the same time. ＊ A chilly Morning with the Candle: One chilly morning, I tried to relight a candle that had gone out halfway, but it wouldn’t stay lit. It seemed the wax around the wick hadn’t melted enough. I checked the instructions on the candle box: “In cold weather, warm the wax around the wick before relighting.” Lesson learned. ＊ A Sudden Burn: After a winter in Japan, I returned to the scorching summer of Perth. On 13 January 2003, at night during a drive, I felt an intense discomfort in my upper back—like a heavy, hot metal plate pressing against me. Out of nowhere, I remembered a chain email ...

  Season's Greetings Cultural differences, customs, and religions... Despite all the variety, I think it’s important to cherish beautiful traditions, like sending a kind word to reconnect. In Australia, around Christmas time, friends often send "Season's Greetings" along with New Year's wishes. It's becoming less common to get messages celebrating Christmas itself, though. Since many of my friends come from different backgrounds, it makes sense that the holidays and celebrations vary. Some even celebrate the Lunar New Year. I appreciate the updates on recent events or how people are doing, especially during these times. Late Autumn at the Beach and the Ashiya Sand Sculpture Exhibition The beach gets lively during the " Ashiya  Sand Sculpture Exhibition," where incredible sand sculptures by famous artists from around the world are displayed outdoors. Fine Detail in Sand Sculpting It turns out that the finer the sand, the better it is for creating sand...